The festival takes place every year during the 31st week, starting on Wednesday and up to and including Sunday. In 2012 (28th edition) from August 1 - August 5.
Groups are expected to arrive on Tuesday before and leave on Monday after the festival. Up to 15 foreign groups and 4 Dutch groups can participate.

The guests will stay with host families in Odoorn and surrounding villages. It is a festival in the open air; groups will dance on six stages situated in the 'dance area'.

Programme: There are six dance sessionssin which all the groups perform. There are extra shows in the Gala shows and the extra dance sessions, ‘the last rounds’. The festival is opened and closed with a swinging parade of all the participating groups.

On average some 35,000 people come to see the different shows of the groups. During the weekend there is an international folkloristic market in which the foreign groups and Dutch hobbyists can participate.

During the festival the members of the groups have every chance to meet each other. At the 'Ball of the Nations' they have a very special chance to do so. SIVO can organize the yearly festival due to the dedication and enthusiasm of hundreds of host families and hundreds of workers, all volunteers.

The festival is a marvellous big event for the members of the participating groups who can make music, sing and dance to their hearts' content and for the audience who can enjoy this. In an atmosphere of peace and friendship they have every chance to achieve the IOV-motto: "We build bridges from nation to nation, from man to man".

SIVO is a member of IOV (the International Organization of Folk Arts, settled in Mödling, Austria) and of CIOFF (The International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Art)

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